Reading between the lines, though, it sounds like this year's event wasn't an unmitigated success. He was defensive about ticket sales - "We had 15,000 people each day, which is great. Anyone else putting on a show like this for the first time would find that incredible" - and also hinted at teething problems: "Our festivals are always a long-term plan. They take a year or two to bed in but we are getting good at that." There was also a bullish slap in the face for the naysayers: "There was a little bit of doubt that we might not pull it off, so I am really proud of my whole Oxford team for making it happen."